Meet Kali Arnold, M.D. | Business Owner/Yoga & Mindfulness Expert

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kali Arnold, M.D. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kali, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I always felt that the risk of staying in an unfavorable situation is greater than the risk of leaving it to find something better. This is how I felt when I made the risky decision to leave my well-paying career as an orthopedic surgeon to pursue health and wellness full time. Even as a young girl, I knew I was a healer. I thought becoming a doctor was the only way to share my gifts but I quickly became disheartened by the state of the current medical industry. In addition to leading a very stressful and mentally taxing lifestyle as a surgeon, I often felt I was treating my patients according to their health insurance as opposed to what was best for them. I did not have a detailed plan on what I was going to do after medicine, but I knew in my heart, I was being guided towards my true purpose. Fast forward to the present day and I am the proud owner of a yoga and wellness studio that provides trauma-informed, restorative practices accessible to everyone.

What should our readers know about your business?
About 10 years ago I began exploring all different forms of healing and became a reiki master and certified in Pilates, yoga, and barre. I will receive my Master’s degree in Ayurvedic and Integrative Medicine from Maharishi International University in January. I am passionate about using my skills as a yoga teacher and healer in combination with my extensive medical background to help individuals achieve their best lives through health and wellness.

I recently opened a yoga and wellness studio in the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta. I have been practicing yoga for 17 years, 12 of those years in Atlanta. I was beginning to see a trend within the yoga studios that mostly involved heated, dynamic classes. I do love those types of classes but I have many friends who would like to try yoga but feel like they have to “get in shape” before trying a class. I started to wonder where can my friends who are beginners, older, have bigger bodies, pregnant bodies, disabilities, autoimmune disorders practice yoga? Sati Yoga & Wellness is a non-heated studio that provides trauma-informed, accessible yoga for everyBODY. We do have a few strength-based but we specialize in restorative practices that calm the nervous system such as yin, restorative, and Yoga Nidra.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Anyone who comes to visit me in Atlanta will end up having dinner at my favorite restaurant Delbar in Inman Park. I have people visit from many major cities and they have all said the it was one of the best meals they ever had. Another place you can always find me is Vinoteca also in Inman Park. It is the cutest neighborhood wine shop that hosts fun events like yoga, comedy shows, wine dinners, and live music. Another little gem I love is Vesper in Glenwood Park. It’s a chic bar and restaurant with delicious tapas like lobster quesadillas. You can also enjoy some of the best cocktails in the city which are all named after James Bond leading ladies. My favorite neighborhoods to hang out and people watch are Inman Park, Little Five Points, Kirkwood, and Oakhurst. Lastly, my favorite weekend getaway spot is Serenbe. It such a beautiful and serene setting where you can relax at the spa, eat amazing farm-to-table meals, and peruse the cutest little shops.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to Shavonna Warthen

Website: www.satiyogawellness.com

Instagram: @satiyogaatl

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kali-arnold-md-75566b40

Image Credits
Professional photos by Malaika Floyd